A New Start
by Tessa Honeybee
Summary: Ten short stories about Mickey and Minnie's children and friends growing up in the 1980's through early 2000's.


**Author's VERY IMPORTANT Note: Welcome readers, to A New Start. This is my introduction to full length Disney fanfics I will be writing in the future. I wrote these ten vignettes to introduce characters and set up rules, such as the toons being real actors. Enjoy my brave leap into a new fandom!**

 **1\. Mistake**

"Please bless that I'll be able to walk like my brother and sister someday." Timothy Mouse prayed. He knelt at his bedside with his fingers interlocked. Mickey watched from the doorway, saddened that his son's prayer could never be answered. Timothy would always walk with a crutch, and it was all because of one human's mistake. One animator chose to draw Timothy holding a crutch in the final design. Many animators thought nothing of it, until Timothy came alive. Mickey could still remember how mortified he was when he'd realized what those careless humans had done. They had animated him handicapped and so Timothy would remain handicapped for the rest of his life. Thus every slow step and every stumble Timothy made on set of Mickey's Christmas Carol was not acting as it should have been. It was real. To the present day, Timothy didn't know his animation defect was permanent. As Mickey listened to his son's hopeful plea, he only wished that Timothy's hope would last. "And God bless Dad, Mom, Peter, Martha, and Pluto. God bless us, everyone. Amen."

 **2\. Work**

"C'mon Dad! Just let me host _one_ show. I could do it." the addressed opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off. "I mean the House isn't going to burn to the ground if you take one night off." Again the attempt to comment was ignored by the speaker. "And lots of toons have filled in for you before. Mom, Daisy, and Clarabelle hosted together, and Goofy hosted a few times. Heck even Pluto ran the show practically all on his own! If Pluto can do it, you know I can!"

"Sorry Peter." Mickey finally intervened. "I know you have potential. But hosting the House of Mouse isn't nearly as easy as it looks. I promise I'll give you your chance when you're ready." Mickey turned around straightening his bow tie in the mirror.

"How will you know I'm ready if you don't give me the chance?" Peter asked. Mickey turned to face Peter again. The young mouse tugged on his orange jacket impatiently.

"Alright. I'll make you a deal." Mickey decided. "If you can run our house, you can run _the House._ That means you have to do all the house work, make all the meals, feed the animals, and do everything else you and your siblings expect your mother to do for you." Peter's eyes bulged. "And still do your homework." That was the straw that broke the camel's back. The irises of his eyes shrank as Peter stumbled backwards. "I guess if you can't do that, you can't host a night show." Mickey stated plainly. Immediately Peter shook the shocked expression off his face and blurted

"No way! I can do it! I won't let you down!" Mickey patted Peter's shoulder.

"Ha-ha. Alright go find your table now and let me get ready for the show." Peter obliged, heading to the dressing room's door. He hated how his dad always got the best of him, in his own happy-go-lucky sing-song sort of way. Peter rolled his eyes in disgust. Whilst he held the door ajar, Peter looked back with a devilish smile.

"Hey Dad? Break a leg out there." he said.

 **3\. Odd**

On a green patch of lawn in the middle of spring a table was decorated with a pink table cloth and every size, shape, and color of teapot imaginable. Many different chairs bordered the table, again in every size, shape, and color imaginable. The hosts conducted a chorus of whistling teapots, and poured tea out of sleeves, hats, ears; everything but their mouths. The guest of honor wore a teapot lid on her head and jumped up and down in her throne at the head of the table. It was a kind gesture to Martha Mouse from some usually self centered and clueless friends. She couldn't be enjoying their company more.

"Aaaaaahh very merry unbirthday!" the March Hare sang.

"To me?" Martha chimed in, momentarily freezing in mid air.

"To you!" the March Hare spat. Martha fell back down on the throne. The Mad Hatter pulled a pink and white cake from his hat (candles already lit) and placed it in front of Martha.

"A very merry unbirthday!" the March Hare repeated.

"For me?" Martha asked, pointing at the cake.

"For you!" the March Hare confirmed, pointing at the icing letter spelling out her name. No, not 'Happy Unbirthday Martha'. Just simply 'MARTHA'.

"Now blow the candles out, my dear, and make your wish come true." the Mad Hatter sang. Martha did so, secretly wishing the song would be over soon. The cake flew into the sky, its frosting turning into fire as it gained altitude. The March Hare and Mad Hatter saluted the cake as it launched, and finally exploded.

"A VERY MERRY UNBIRTHDAY... TO YOU!" The mad characters finished. A pink puff of smoke filled the air and from it rained down flaming snowflake sized remnants of the cake. Martha pulled an umbrella from her hammerspace and shielded herself from the cake and ash.

"I hear the ninth verse coming on!" the March Hare cheered. "Aaaaaahh very merry un-" Martha shoved a teacup in his mouth.

"I think we can all agree that's enough singing for one unbirthday party." Martha said. "Right guys?" the unbirthday girl hollered to her three guests sitting eight empty chairs down.

"YEAH!" the three chorused, voicing their annoyance. Martha then climbed onto the table, touched her gloved hands to the table cloth, kicked her feet to the sky, and proceeded to walk on her hands down the table. Not only was she a little odd to begin with, but she felt she had to do stunts like this often to keep her mad hosts and zany guests interested. When she reached the trio eight empty chairs down, she resumed standing on her feet again. A quick glance over her shoulder told her she miraculously hadn't damaged a single teapot. Martha turned back to her guests. One sat like posed doll on top of many books stacked in a wooden chair, the next wrestled the monster in his belly inside a ball chair, and the last laid back in a massage chair with his feet resting on the table.

"Well Warners," she addressed. "I'm sorry this isn't very fun anymore. Come to think of it I should have said this six or seven verses ago. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you guys?" Martha asked.

"Can we _please_ have some tea now?!" Dot demanded, holding up an empty cup.

"Can we _pleeeaase_ have some cake now?!" Wakko begged, hunched over and holding his growling stomach.

"Can we get paid extra for cameo starring in a Disney fic?" Yakko requested, nonchalantly paddleballing away. "The author's _first_ for Disney, I might add." Martha shrugged.

"Sure." she responded to all three.

 **4\. Pets**

Six dogs, two cats, two fish, one horse, and one elephant. But none did Mickey love more than his best pal, Pluto. The hound dog had a heart as golden as his coat. Aside from the occasional distraction or misadventure with an adversary (Figaro, Butch, Chip and Dale, etc...) Pluto put his loyalty to Mickey above everything else. His greatest fault however, was jealousy. Mickey, Minnie, their children, Pluto, Fifi, the quinpuplets, Figaro, Milton, Bianca, Cleo, Tanglefoot, and Bobo were all living on the same mansion grounds and all except the larger animals were sharing the same house. That left Pluto with a lot of competitors for Mickey's attention. On days when Pluto's puppies kept him busy, and the cats stole Mickey's affections, Pluto would murmur under his breath, cursing his extended family/housemates. How he missed being an only pet.

 **5\. Elephant  
**

Saturday afternoon at four o'clock was Minnie and Daisy's routine tea time at the Mouses' home. It was a nice treat for the two of them to enjoy some good company along with peace and quiet. Best of all the routine tea always included routine gossip.

"I'm so excited to host the Halloween ball, Daisy." Minnie said.

"Yeah and everyone will be there." Daisy commented. Minnie's eyes darted away for a second. "Right?" Daisy asked.

"Well not everyone... Maleficent's not coming." Minnie shyly admitted.

"Not invited?" Daisy assumed, rolling her eyes. 'One less villain there to ruin the party.' she thought bitterly.

"No Daisy, I invited her. I think she's not coming because she doesn't have a date." Minnie clarified.

"No wonder!" Daisy laughed. "Even if a man were interested in that horned fairy, she'd torch him, hex him, or steal his soul before he could ask her out."

"Daisy, don't be so cruel. She's part of the company. That makes her family." Minnie scolded. Though Daisy had a point. Maleficent, the most evil of all villains, had no interest in being loved by anyone. Hence why she had a long streak of wripping Disney bachelors' hearts out and burning them at the stake (with dragon breath no less). "But there is one villain she hasn't turned down yet." Minnie realized. Daisy's eyes lit up. Finally the gossiping would really begin.

"Well, who is it?!" Daisy demanded. Minnie stifled a giggle.

"Oh... he's new." Minnie teased.

 _"But who is he?!"_ Before Minnie could open her mouth again, the room began to shake. The coffee table trembled, the tea cups and pot vibrated. Daisy looked concerned. "An earthquake?" she gasped.

"Nope." Minnie answered and calmly opened a window. "Come look." Daisy cautiously met Minnie at the window and truly saw a surprise. A gigantic white elephant stomped across the lawn with the Mouse children riding on his back and the oldest loudly chanting:

"Hup! Two, three, four! Keep it up! Two, three, four! Company sound off!" His siblings joined in the song.

"Oh, the aim of our patrol, is a question rather droll. For to march and drill, over field and hill." Minnie covered her ears, expecting the elephant's loud trumpet.

"Is a military goal." the youngest squeaked.

"Is a military goal." Peter and Martha echoed back.

"Hup! Two, thee, four! Dress it up! Two, thee, four!" Peter continued as the elephant marched on passed the mansion.

"Taking Bobo for a walk." Minnie explained.

 **6\. Uncle**

"Nice place you got here, Mouse." the rabbit remarked, gazing up at the castle-like mansion, complete with towers and flags. "I expected something... a little more humble, coming from you." he smirked. Mickey ignored him. He bounded to his grand front doors, eager to let his guest in.

"You ready to meet them?" Mickey asked enthusiastically. The rabbit stood frozen, a few yards behind. He looked glumly down at his shoeless feet. "Oswald, what's the matter? I've been telling them all about you. I promise they'll love ya!"

"It's not that." Oswald muttered. He met Mickey's eyes again. "It's just... this won't replace the family I'm supposed to have." Oswald wanted to eat his words as soon as he said them. "I mean... uh you and I are still brothers and all! But they... Um..." the rabbit stuttered. Oswald face palmed, embarrassed that he couldn't find the right words to say. Mickey understood and held Oswald tightly at his shoulders.

"Oswald, I know I can't give you back the years you could have spent with Mom and Dad." Mickey explained. "But I promise, we'll find Ortensia and your boys." Oswald nodded. "And when we find them, my family will still be your family."

"Okay." Oswald gave in. Satisfied, Mickey let go of Oswald and the two approached the front door. Mickey patted Oswald on the back.

"Hey, cheer up. You're an uncle now!" he congratulated.

 **7\. Bubble gum**

Halloween traditions are as common and cliché as they come in Toontown. Good and bad costumes, trick-or-treating, TPs and pumpkin smashing, and tons of candy. The Mouse children had gone all out on their first Halloween unsupervised by their parents. Now the family of five sat around a backyard campfire roasting s'mores; a new family tradition which Timothy suggested upon realization that most of the kids' candy was usually Hershey's bars every year. And speaking of traditions...

"Musketeers! My favorite!" Martha cheered, having discovered the final chocolate bar in her candy bag. The rest of her candy was dumped out on a small fold-up table for her to sort through. Most of it would be traded or given away to her brothers. Minnie looked over her daughter's shoulder at what Martha had discarded, and was surprised by the quantity of one candy in particular. She looked to her sons who held marshmallow roasting sticks with their right hands and simultaneously traded candy with their lefts. Minnie noticed they too had a plethora of one candy and paid no mind to it. This gave Minnie an idea.

"Martha, do you know what your father and I's favorite Halloween candy is?" Minnie asked.

"Kisses?" Timothy suggested. The five of them laughed. Minnie didn't know what was funnier: what Timothy said, or the fact that he looked so cute when he said it, they couldn't be sure if he was serious or poking fun at them.

"Bubble gum." Mickey announced, with a knowing look in his eye. The kids were shocked.

"What? Why?" they all exclaimed.

"It loses it's flavor so fast." Martha insisted.

"It's too hard on the teeth." Timothy claimed.

"You can't even eat it." Peter argued.

"When we were kids we didn't chew any of our bubble gum." Mickey stated. The Mouse children were still confused. "When your mother and I went trick-or-treating we would empty our bags, put all our bubble gum together..." Peter, Martha, and Timothy anxiously awaited the answer. Did they stretch the gum and put it in someone's hair? Or their car? It had to be something mischievous like that, right? "And we gave it all to Pluto." Mickey concluded. The trio only responded with blank stares. "I'll show you." Mickey decided. He stood up and grabbed a handful of Dubble Bubble gum and unwrapped the candy. Then he whistled for Pluto. The hound came running from the house, happily barking. Mickey kept the gum hidden in his fist. Only when Pluto obediently sat in front of Mickey, did the mouse reveal the bubble gum. Pluto's ears perked up, his tongue rolled out his mouth, and his pupils pointed straight at Mickey's hand. "Here ya go, boy." Mickey said, finally offering his handful of gum to Pluto. Pluto took it all in with one bite. The Mouse children watched curiously as Pluto hastily worked his jaws to soften the hard candy. The gum quickly turned chewy and Pluto seemed to be quite content.

"He really likes bubble gum, doesn't he Dad?" Timothy remarked in wonder.

"Ha-ha, just watch." Mickey laughed. In a moment, Pluto's gum pieces had squished together into a huge blob that Pluto could hardly keep in his mouth. Pluto chewed harder. But the blob filled his whole mouth now and stuck his bottom and top teeth together. Peter, Martha, and Timothy laughed at the faces Pluto would make, trying to get rid of the sticky pink web between his teeth. The battle between Pluto and the bubble gum went on for ten minutes and ended with Pluto dressed in a skin tight pink bubble gum jumpsuit stuck to him from nose to tail. The kids had never laughed so hard in their lives.

 **8\. Villain**

Peter folded his arms and pouted on his bed. Grounded, and for what? For trying to make nice with another villain. He would admit now that he should have taken a different approach towards Sher Khan. But in Peter's defense, he really didn't expect the tiger to attack the company's mascot's son. But he didn't hold anything against Sher Khan. Peter knew they would be on equal grounds someday. After all, Peter made it his mission in life to be on good terms with all Disney villains. His dad taught him that all Disney toons, even the villains were part of the Disney Company family and should be treated like family. However, Peter still saw that the villains were ignored, frowned upon, and unwanted. Peter wanted to change that. Plus, Peter always considered himself as one of them. Cunning, determined, impulsive, a little vain, and never afraid of risks. He tamed Monstro and surfed the waves with the beast. He raced the Headless Horseman on horseback. He fenced with Captain Hook. In secret, he practiced dark magic with Maleficent. Yes, close to all the Disney villains were Peter's friends. No matter what anyone said, Peter knew that was the crowd where he belonged.

 **9\. Serape**

"Keep flapping, Donald! Lo puedes hacer!" Panchito shouted. Alas, the duck continued to plummet towards the earth, only to be caught by Jose who was flying in the air as Donald's spotter. Setting the duck down on the ground, the parrot and rooster looked him over.

"You look so triste, patinho." Jose observed. "What is the matter?"

"I'll never fly like you guys... or Dad." the duck pouted. His voice was smooth, youthful, and not Donald Duck-like at all. Panchito and Jose gave each other knowing smirks.

"Donald." Panchito laughed. "Between los tres de nosotros, your padre is not the best flyer either."

"Sim. You are lucky we are your mentores, and not him." Jose agreed. The little duck glumly kept his bill pointed to the ground. Panchito tilted his head. Obviously Jose dropping their student into the sky wasn't getting him any closer to flying. They needed a new technique.

"Yo tengo una idea." Panchito announced.

 _Later..._

He was starting to get it now. The wind in his face, a weightless feeling. This was what it felt like to fly. Okay, so this is what it felt like to ride the magic serape with Panchito steering it in all directions. But it was a start, and the young duck was having the time of his life.

"Whoo-hoo!" he yelled over another loop-de-loop. He stood on the serape with his arms stretched out, measuring his full wingspan.

"Excelente Donald!" Panchito shouted over his shoulder. "You'll soon fly better than Senior McQuack."

"He flies _airplanes_ , Panchito." the duck pointed out.

At ground level, Jose watched Panchito's serape air show. The rooster steered a hard left, and the duck leaned with the wind while still keeping his balance on the magic serape. Jose would admit it was a good idea. Beeping tones sounded from Jose's pocket. He reached in and answered his cell phone, which resembled a black brick with an antenna.

"Olá." Jose greeted.

"Hey Jose, it's Donald." The distinguishable voice of Donald Duck spoke.

"Donal'!" Jose exclaimed. "So good to hear from you, amigo!"

"I take it you want me to come back as soon as possible to take Junior off your hands." Donald assumed.

"Não. Nothing like that." Jose said bemusedly. "Donal', your filho has been a perfect anjo. Very well behaved." the parrot praised.

"That's good." Donald sighed. "I'm sorry again for making you two babysit on your vacation."

"Não é problema. Panchito and I are glad to eh... babysit... anytime." Jose fumbled over the American expression.

"Okay. Well I was just checking in to make sure you two've got everything taken care..." Donald trailed off at the sound of Panchito's ear-splitting crow in the background. "Jose, are you sure there's no trouble?" Jose looked skyward. Donald Jr. was now driving the serape while Panchito flew ahead, leading the young duck into all sorts of aerial flips and spins. 'Ele está ansioso para voar. Talvez Panchito vai deixar-lhe emprestado o poncho.' Jose thought, analyzing Donald Jr.'s agility and control of the magic serape. "Jose? JOSE?" Donald called.

"O que?" Jose asked.

"Are you sure there's no trouble?" Donald repeated.

"Of course, Donal'." Jose affirmed. "Everything is... how you Americans say... smooth sailing."

 **10\. Together**

Mickey stood at his grand fireplace, looking over the memories on the wall. Photographs of years gone by, half shadowed by the glow of the fire. It was a quarter past midnight. Minnie and the children were fast asleep in their beds, Pluto laid on his own cushion in the corner of the master bedroom guarding Mickey and Minnie in his sleep, and the quinpuplets were piled into a dog bed with their mother Fifi in the living room. The cats were probably awake, prowling around somewhere. While most of the house slumbered, Mickey was wide awake at the fireplace. He wasn't sure what kept him awake at this hour. Perhaps his mind was still coming to terms with how much life was changing lately. Perhaps he still needed an absolution or a cue to move forward. The most recent photograph gave him his release.

Ortensia, Oswald, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, all stood the back row. The second row included Rabbit twins Lloyd and Floyd, Peter, Timothy, and Martha Mouse, Donald Duck Jr. along with Huey, Louie, and Dewy Duck, and Max Goof. In the front row sat Pluto, Fifi, and their puppies who were obviously interested in anything but the camera. Everyone was dressed casual. Some parents had their hands on their offspring's shoulders. Oswald had an arm around Ortensia's waist. It was a sincere family picture. Not too posed and not too perfect. How the family had grown, from the Sensational Six, to what they were in present day. Donald and his nephews were receiving admiration from new and old fans for their performances in DuckTales. Goofy and Max would soon star in their own series too. Donald Jr. and the Mouse children, though not returning to the silver screen any time soon, were excelling in their Tooniversity studies and growing up so fast. And Oswald... Mickey's own brother was finally feeling at home, with his extended Disney family. Technically he was still a Universal toon. But Oswald couldn't be too bothered by that. Mickey and the gang welcomed him with open arms, and best of all Mickey helped Oswald reunite with Ortensia and their sons. The four were separated after Walter Lantz stopped making Oswald cartoons. After Oswald was abandoned by another human, his depression sent him into a downward spiral. Ortensia and the twins left for their own wellbeing. It was a miracle that Oswald, Ortensia, Lloyd, and Floyd could be in a family picture together again. Oswald hated to admit it, but he really owed it all to that one mouse. Mickey's family was changing, but the love would always stay the same. Mickey knew that of course. But perhaps he needed a quiet moment in the middle of the night to take it all in. Mickey gave the picture one last glance before deciding to return to his bed.

"We did alright, didn't we Dad?" Mickey asked the open air. Somehow the silence comforted Mickey, as no more words needed to be said. He needed no answer, for he knew it was true.


End file.
